The invention relates to packet-switched communication networks and, more specifically, on the one hand, the generation of counter signals representative of clock signals intended for remote communication equipment, and on the other hand, for reconstructing clock signals within remote communication equipment, from counter signals transmitted via a packet-switched communication network.
The invention relates to all packet-switched communication networks, and in particular those with IP (“Internet Protocol”) packet switching, whether wired (for example Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)) or wireless (for example IEEE 802.16 D-2004).
The term “communication equipment” should be understood here to mean any type of communication equipment forming part of, or able to be connected to, a (communication) network and requiring an internal clock, of master or slave type and the rate of which is set by a remote transmitter, in order to perform internal data processing operations. It can therefore be, for example, a base station (BTS or Node B), an access point, a fixed or mobile telephone, a fixed or portable computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a “smartphone” equipped with a communication card, a video recorder or a camera.